Rebellious
by Moosashi
Summary: -I will...not allow it! A kind king means a weak king. I aspire to be more!- Those were Brago's words during his fateful encounter with Zatch. Now, even though Zatch is king, Brago intends to make his words true. He plans to make the throne his own.
1. A Kingly Day

A.N. Hello people! Here I am, writing my third Zatch Bell story. They say the third time is a charm, right? Yeah, well I guess we'll see...Anyways. This story obviously takes place after Zatch becomes king. But you already knew that if you read the summary. Some characters may be a bit out-of-character, most notably Brago. I think. Erm, well then again I don't know, you tell me if he is. Or if any are for that matter. I really don't have much more to say here. Haha. On with it!

Disclaimer: Of course, as you may already know, I do not own Zatch Bell.

It was just too big.

The small blonde-haired Mamodo boy fidgeted in his seat. It wasn't a normal seat—not by far. It was the Royal Throne, a seat reserved for only the Ruler of the Mamodo World. It was large, bejeweled, cushioned, and would have been plenty comfortable if the young Mamodo was just a bit bigger.

He sighed and finally gave up. He placed his hand under his chin and let his elbow rest on the arm of the throne. He stared at a blue-haired man that was approaching him. He knew who it was, of course; it was Rein. He had kept his promise that he had made and devoted his power to the 'Kind King.' Rein was head of the Royal Guard, a task befitting of his strength. He stopped before Zatch and bowed.

"You have a visitor, my liege. Shall I let her in?" Rein asked his question without ever lifting his head to look at Zatch. Everyone in the palace seemed to do that. Supposedly it was a 'respect' thing, but either way, it was something Zatch had become to hate ever since he became king not even a month ago.

Zatch sighed. "There's no need to be so formal." He stated with an irritated voice. Rein didn't respond, nor did he lift his head in recognition of what Zatch had just said. There was a short pause, but then Zatch spoke again. "Nevermind. Let her in."

The man rose, and with a small bow, proceeded down the long stretch of rug that led to the throne room doors. They soon opened. A familiar face began to approach Zatch. Red hair, ruby eyes, and a matching red dress...

"Tia!" The boy Mamodo exclaimed happily. He smiled brightly and as she stopped in front of his throne, he stood up and hugged her. She was a bit startled.

"I'm glad to see you too, Zatch." She managed to get out as the boy tightly hugged her. She was blushing lightly as Zatch finally released her.

"How is everyone doing? It's been so long since I've seen anyone..."

It was true; he had been very busy ever since he became king. So many changes had to be made and Zatch had to learn about 'being a king' and all that. He wished he had more free time so that he could hang out with his friends. In fact, they weren't all that far away. Most of them were staying in the palace. It was something Zatch had urged them to do the minute he became king. Tia, Kanchomé, Ponygon, Ted, Kolulu—all of them had their very own room in the palace. Even so, he had just been so busy lately that he couldn't see any of them. But things were finally starting to settle down.

"Well, Kanchomé has become so much like Folgore that it's almost scary..." She began. Thoughts of Kanchomé singing suddenly came to mind. She shook her head to get the creepy images out of her mind. "...Ponygon hasn't changed much. He's still his usual self—lazy, but fun to be around. It's funny, because even though he has such a nice room and all, he still requested a dog house to be built for him. You should have seen how long it took him to get his message through!" She began laughing. Zatch joined in too as he pictured Ponygon screaming "Meru meru-mei" at one of the guards in a desperate attempt to convey his message.

Zatch stopped laughing and suddenly asked, "What about Kolulu?"

Tia felt a tinge of jealousy bite at her. He specifically asked about Kolulu...

She looked down. She felt a bit embarrassed because she didn't really know. She tended to avoid Kolulu. She thought of her as more of a rival than a friend, even though Kolulu probably didn't think that way.

"I'm not really sure." She replied.

Zatch stared at her for what seemed like eternity. "Oh." He said, finally breaking the silence. He sat down in his big throne and gestured for Tia to sit also. "There's plenty of room." He told her.

She smiled and sat down on the large throne. It seemed to fit the two perfectly. She lay back, letting herself sink in the near-endless amounts of cushions. It was so comfortable to her.

"I could get used to this." She blurted out. Her face reddened as Zatch looked down at her. He was staring at her rather curiously.

"Y-yeah." He replied with a slight stutter. They locked eyes for a brief moment, but then Zatch suddenly looked away.

"Hey Tia," Zatch began, "I think I actually have some free time today." He looked back down at her, "Would you like to go into town with me?" He asked, his voice seemingly full of hope.

She smiled again, "Sure." She replied as she sat up. He stood up and gave out a sudden cheer.

He removed his crown and examined it briefly, and then placed it on Tia's head.

"Today I am not King Zatch." He stated. He seemed somewhat relieved at that comment. He bowed, "Let us be off, your majesty." He said teasingly.

_Queen Tia_, she thought, _now I like the sound of that._

----

Zatch was thrilled to be outside of the palace. He was so energetic. He held his hands out towards the sun and took in the warm rays. It was as if he hadn't seen the sun for...wait, he probably hadn't. He took deep breaths, letting the fresh air fill his lungs.

"Ah, it feels so nice to be out for once!" He exclaimed cheerfully as he examined the town around him. It would seem that they were near the markets. There were many small shops, as well as a large fountain in the center of the marketplace. He could smell something rather good. It was a familiar scent, but somehow different. Yellowtail, perhaps? He followed his nose and entered the nearby bakery. He glued himself to a display cabinet that was showing a new kind of cookie in two different shapes. One was shaped like Zatch's face, and the other was of a fish—a yellowtail, to be exact.

His mouth began to water as he stared at the cookies. "Wow...they look so good..." He murmured. Tia was soon behind him, glancing curiously over his shoulder at the display.

"King Zatch!"

The two turned to the sudden voice. The baker was looking straight at them. He seemed somewhat nervous.

"What are these?" Zatch asked curiously as his gaze drifted back to the two cookies. He pressed his face up against the glass.

"Th-they're my new specialty. I m-made them in honor of you becoming k-king. They are yellowtail cookies, my lord!" The baker bowed his head as he said this.

Zatch's eyes widened in awe. "Y-yellowtail cookies?!" He shouted in amazement.

"Yellowtail...cookies?" Tia repeated in disgust. Could such a thing even be tasty?

The baker removed a fresh batch from the oven, and as he did a pungent smell filled the room. It made Tia's eyes water, and made Zatch begin to drool.

"Would you like to try one, King Zatch?" The baker asked. Zatch nodded frantically and immediately grabbed one of the steaming hot cookies from the tray. Crumbs went flying as he devoured the cookie that was shaped like his face. It was gone in mere seconds.

Zatch suddenly paused after he ate it. He stood there motionless. The baker stared at him, awaiting Zatch's response. Tia too stared at him curiously. Suddenly, satisfaction plastered itself across Zatch's face. He began to cry tears of joy.

"These are the best cookies ever!" He shouted. He began to snatch the remaining ones from the tray. He was eating them extremely fast and was making a rather large mess.

"My, what an appetite! Is he always like this?" The baker asked.

Tia nodded, "Uh-huh..."

Tia dragged the boy Mamodo from the bakery. He was having a fit, but soon gave up. He had practically eaten every cookie there. They could hear the baker yelling as they walked away, saying that 'it was on the house.'

Zatch's face was a mess. He had crumbs all over his face and hands too. They sat down by the fountain in the center of the marketplace. He bent over the railing and rinsed his hands in the crisp water, and then splashed some onto his face as well. He was soon cleaned up. He leaned back against the railing.

"I never thought being king could be so great." He stated. He looked at Tia, but squinted as the crown she was wearing reflected the sun into his eyes.

She looked at him. "Zatch, you can't just go out and do whatever you want just because you're king." She told him with concern. He frowned.

"I know, but just this one time...I haven't been out of that palace in forever. And remember, _Queen_ Tia, you have that power for today too!" He smiled brightly as he said this. She blushed a little. She liked that more every time she heard it.

_Queen Tia and King Zatch..._

Her blush reddened as she thought that.

Zatch blinked in confusion. "What is it, Tia?" He asked curiously.

She suddenly gasped as she snapped back into reality. "Huh? Oh, uhm, n-nothing." She looked away nervously. There was an awkward silence in which Zatch stared at her. Tia kept looking back to see if he was still staring at her, and every time she did her face got redder. She began to whistle suddenly, as if trying to ease the intensity of the moment. Her eyes now locked with his as she whistled. She stopped whistling and soon found herself unable to look away. It was as if Zatch was peering into her soul, into her mind, into her heart...

She could feel her heart racing. She gulped as he kept his deep stare.

_What's he doing?_

_What's he looking at?_

_Oh, I'm probably so red right now!_

Zatch studied her carefully.

_Her face is like a cherry..._

"Tia's face looks like a cherry." He bluntly stated, breaking the awkward silence. Tia's blush faded almost instantly.

"That's...it?" She asked disappointedly. She sighed and then stood up. She should have expected this. After all, it was Zatch she was dealing with.

Zatch noticed something in the distance. "Hey, what's that?" He asked aloud. He broke into a small run. As he got closer, he realized that it was a giant statue of himself. It was rather large, about the height of a small building. It was heavily detailed as well, and posed Zatch as staring off into the distance with confident eyes and his hands on his hips. "Whoa! I even have a statue! I'm like a super-hero!" He mimicked the pose that the statue had by placing his hands on his hips and tilting his head to make it seem as if he were looking far into the distance. Tia soon caught up with him, as did two other lively characters...

A horse-like creature suddenly pounced at Zatch, knocking him from his heroic pose and onto the ground. It began to lick his face in a friendly manner, all while shouting, "Meru-meru-mie!"

"Ponygon!" Zatch shouted happily.

"Don't forget about me..."

Zatch sat up as he heard yet another familiar voice. He lifted Ponygon off, and turned to face the white-clothed duck-faced boy that was standing near him with the same pose as the statue.

"...Ironman Kanchomé!" The duck-boy shouted heroically.

Zatch blinked in a perplexed manner. That sounded vaguely familiar. Ironman...Ironman...

"Hey," Zatch started, "Wasn't that Folgore's name?" He asked. Kanchomé began to laugh nervously as his eyes wandered back and forth.

"Ha...ha...what are you talking about? Ha..."

It fell silent. Everyone's eyes were on Kanchomé. Soon Tia was next to Zatch, whispering into his ear, "Like I said, he's become so much like Folgore that it's scary." Zatch nodded in agreement.

Kanchomé noticed the shining crown that Tia was wearing. He studied it carefully, and then felt the urge to try it on.

"Hey Tia," he began as he drew closer to her, "Can I try on Zatch's crown?" His eyes were sparkling in the bright reflection of the crown.

Tia placed her hands on her hips. "No you cannot. And that's _Queen_ Tia to you!" She stated in a noble manner with a smug expression. Kanchomé was taken aback by her response, but he quickly recovered and began to laugh—a hissing laugh—as a teasing smile appeared on his face. He pointed at her.

"Doesn't that mean you're married to Zatch then?" He pointed out as he broke into full laughter. Tia's smug expression was replaced by a mad blush. She turned away in embarrassment.

"Mar...ried?" Zatch repeated the word in confusion. He tilted his head. He didn't get it.

Kanchomé suddenly began dancing around Tia in a circle. Ponygon quickly joined in, and soon they were both chanting:

"Tia likes Zatch!"

"Meru-meru-mie!

"Tia likes Zatch!"

"Meru-meru-mie!"

"Tia likes Za—!"

"Meru-meru-m—!"

They came to a sudden halt as Tia began to mercilessly strangle both of them.

"Just shut up!" She shouted in their agonized faces. She began to strangle them harder, their necks stretching to absurd lengths.

Suddenly Zatch spoke up. "That's okay," he started with a smile, "Because Zatch likes Tia." He closed his eyes and let his smile brighten.

Tia felt her heart skip a beat. She immediately released her two victims.

"Run away!" Kanchomé shouted.

"Meru-meru-mie~!" Ponygon cried.

The two ran off, kicking up a large dust cloud as they went.

Tia ran up to Zatch and grasped his wrists gently. His eyes opened as she did, and she gazed deeply into them, her own eyes sparkling with hope.

"R-really Zatch?" She asked with her hopes soaring. A bright smile appeared on her lips.

Zatch nodded. "Mhmm. Tia's my friend, so of course I like her." He responded.

The red-head Mamodo girl felt like she was being crushed to death under the weight of her own hopes as they came crashing down. The sparkle left her eyes and her gleeful face became full of disappointment. She released Zatch's wrists as she sighed. She removed the crown from her head and pushed it into Zatch's chest.

"Here..."

She turned and began to walk away, sulking. The boy peered down at the crown in his arms, and then looked up at the girl Mamodo that was slowly drifting away from him.

"Is something wrong, Tia?" He called out to her.

"It's nothing, Zatch." She responded in a low voice.

It was always nothing. Nothing, nothing, nothing. But he knew it was _something_.

He ran up to her and placed the crown back on her head. He then spun her around and placed his hands on her shoulders. She was looking down and averting his eyes.

"Aw, come-on Tia. What's wrong?" The boy Mamodo asked. He was determined to find out. She didn't respond, and instead sighed. "Tell me." He said demandingly. She suddenly broke free of Zatch's hold and began to walk away.

"Let's just go..." She told him. Zatch stood there for a moment, still wondering what was wrong with her. He soon caught up with her.

----

Zatch walked with his hands folded behind his head. He periodically glanced over at the sulking girl Mamodo that walked next to him, checking to see if her mood had improved; it barely seemed to be.

They were headed back to the palace. Zatch was rather annoyed that his day of freedom was ending after such a short trip, but he understood that Tia just wasn't in the mood. Why she was, however, was something he didn't understand. He just wanted to cheer her up. He suddenly began to hold her hand. He remembered that it always made her smile. It also always made her face look like a cherry. Like always, it worked. She began to smile softly as her cheeks turned rosy.

"How come your face always looks like a cherry?" Zatch asked innocently. The way he worded the question was awkward, and it made Tia laugh slightly.

_She's laughing. That's good!_

She swallowed hard. She was going to say it this time. No more running away or hiding it. She bit her lip nervously and wondered if Zatch would even understand what she was about to confess.

"Well you see, Zatch, I uh, I sort of—"

"Zatch Bell."

An annoyed expression found its way onto Tia's face as this sudden deep voice interrupted her. She had finally gathered enough courage to tell Zatch how she felt, but _this_ guy had to butt in. She turned, as did Zatch, to face the black-garbed figure that stood not far from them.

"Brago!" Zatch exclaimed.

Indeed it was Brago. However, he didn't seem too happy to see Zatch. Tia was even more unhappy to see Brago.

"What are _you_ doing here?" She asked with much emphasis on the 'you.' She folded her arms over her chest in a frustrated manner. Brago didn't seem to hear her; either that or he was just ignoring her. "Hey, I'm talking to you!" She shouted.

"Shut up." Brago murmured.

Tia exploded.

"Don't you tell _me_ to shut up! How dare you even say that!" She was screaming at the top of her lungs with her arms flailing about angrily. Brago ignored her rampage and instead walked forward and grasped her by the throat. He held her in the air, choking her. (A.N. Someone choking Tia. This is ironic, no?)

"You're annoying." He commented as he watched her struggle to get free.

Zatch was shocked by Brago's action. "Brago, what are you doing?" He asked worriedly. He didn't get a response. "Let her go!" He shouted suddenly. Brago tilted his head to look at the small boy Mamodo. He smirked.

"Why don't you make me?"

Zatch took a step back, surprised at Brago's statement. He clenched his fists and then repeated his words with more authority, "Let her go."

Brago chuckled, tightened his grip for a moment, but then released the red-haired Mamodo girl. She landed on her feet, but then collapsed to her knees, gasping for air.

"You're still weak, Zatch." Brago stated as he began to walk away. "There's no way I will let someone like you be King of the Mamodo World."

Zatch stared at him as he walked away, unsure if what Brago had just said was a threat. Tia's sudden coughing brought Zatch to her side. He helped her stand.

"The nerve of that guy..." She murmured. "If he ever comes around here again, I'll show him whose boss!" She coughed again.

"Are you okay?" Zatch asked with concern.

"Yeah, I'm fine." She replied with a nod.

There was a long pause, but then Zatch finally spoke.

"So Tia..." He began calmly, "...What was it you were going to tell me?"

She sighed disappointedly and was unable to re-summon the courage that she had before this incident.

"It's nothing, Zatch."

A.N. And that's it for now. Not much plot takes place in this first chapter, but I'll get more into that next time. Expect slow updates probably. I'm rather lazy. Tell me if it was great, good, average, bad, horrible, terrible--whatever. Any criticism is welcome.


	2. The Beginning of the End

A.N. Hello again. I'm back with chapter two! I took note of the reviews and made changes to chapter one, most notably the names. It bugs me when I make stupid mistakes like that. Hehe, ah well. As promised, more of the plot is revealed in this chapter. Enjoy!

"Any questions?"

Brago surveyed the group in front of him as he spoke. Two strong, well known Mamodo sat in front, behind them a mob of various other Mamodo. One of the two, who sat on the right, was a white-haired Mamodo; his arms were crossed over his chest and his eyelids were shut, concealing his terrifying purple eyes. Brago was worried about this one, for he knew the minute his plan succeeded, he would have to fight him. His eyes drifted to the left, where a rather strange Mamodo sat with his hand in the air.

Brago grunted, "What is it?"

The Mamodo's hand fell. He cleared his throat before speaking. "Could you run that by me again?" He asked.

Brago clenched his right fist. He _hated_ this guy. He took a deep breath and tried to keep his cool. "One more time," Brago said in a deep voice, "But pay attention!"

The strange Mamodo smirked at Brago's comment. He pulled out a cigar, placed it in his mouth, and tapped the tip of an awkward conductor's-like-baton onto the cigar, lighting it. He breathed in, savored it for a brief moment, and then exhaled. The smoke began to quickly fill the small room.

Brago placed his hands onto a map that lay open on the table in front of him. His finger pointed at a town on the map.

"We begin with a distraction. This is where all of you come in." Brago lifted his gaze from the map and onto the strange, smoking Mamodo and the mob behind him. "Do what you want, just make sure you can hold off for awhile." He quickly added.

The strange Mamodo exhaled again. "Of course, of course. You underestimate me, Brago." He said smirking.

"I sincerely hope that I am, Kiees." Brago retorted.

The strange Mamodo—Kiees—frowned at Brago's remark.

Brago continued, "At this time, Zeno and I will take the palace. It should be fairly empty."

Zeno's eyes suddenly opened upon hearing his name. His purple, lightening-like eyes dug deep into Brago's.

"Do you honestly think my brother would fall for such a trick?" He asked.

"Zatch is too kind. You know as well as I do that he'll send the entire Royal Guard to deal with our distraction as quickly as possible." He responded assuredly. There was a brief pause.

"Are you sure you'll be able to defeat the 'Kind King?'" Zeno asked, his relentless stare not faltering even the slightest.

Brago's fists tightened—so much that he drew blood from his own palms. "Don't mock me..." He murmured in an enraged voice, "And remember...Zatch is mine!"

Zeno chuckled, "Yes, of course; I'm just there to deal with the remaining few..."

----

Zatch couldn't sleep at all. He tossed and turned in his overly large bed, unable to get comfortable. But that wasn't what kept him up. His mind was plagued with two thoughts that were nagging away at him.

The first was of Tia. He couldn't stop wondering what it was she was going to tell him. Childish and innocent as Zatch was, he believed it was some super-awesome secret or something. He was completely oblivious to the truth.

The second was of Brago. What he had said—"There's no way I will let someone like you be King of the Mamodo World."—Was also pestering him, but not as much. Brago was always like that. He was always full of himself. He thought that he should just ignore it, but what he had done to Tia made him worry.

"Ahh!"

Zatch gave out an annoyed cried as he sat up in bed. He moaned as he rubbed his eyes. He threw off the enormous blankets and hopped down from the large bed. He stretched and then made his way towards the balcony. He opened the glass doors and stepped out onto the moonlit balcony. The moon was very bright, and there was also not a cloud in the sky. The stars were all visible and twinkled vibrantly.

The boy Mamodo leaned against the edge of the balcony and gazed into the sky. He gave out a sigh of relief and felt calm as he peered upwards. A shooting star suddenly raced through the vast sea of stars above. It was already beginning to fade from sight, but nonetheless it perked Zatch's curiosity.

"I should make a wish." He whispered softly to himself. He interlocked his hands and closed his eyes as he began to think of what it was he wanted.

"I wish..."

His eyes suddenly opened.

_That wasn't me...is someone else out here?_

He peered over the edge of the balcony. Looking down at the balcony below, he saw a familiar red-head Mamodo girl who seemed to be gazing dreamily into the starry night sky. He listened closely.

"...That Zatch wasn't such an idiot." She finished.

Zatch's mouth hung open.

_What? How could Tia say something like that about me! Was that what she wanted to tell me...? That I'm an idiot?_

"He's just so oblivious." She began again. Zatch quickly shook away his thoughts and began to intently listen again. She sighed. "He doesn't understand how I feel about him. I doubt it would even matter if he knew..." She trailed off, hesitant on going further. Zatch was waiting impatiently for her to finish, completely unaware of the meaning of the things she had said thus far.

"...He probably likes Kolulu anyways." She concluded disappointedly.

Zatch stood there blinking for a moment. Then, all of a sudden, something inside him clicked. Shock filled his face and he let out a loud gasp.

"Huh?" Tia looked up as she heard the noise, but she didn't see anything. Zatch had pulled himself away from the balcony edge and was now sitting with his back against it. He was rather nervous that she may have noticed him, but even more than that he felt stupid. He gazed down at the glowing floor of the balcony and tried to calm himself. A new feeling began to overtake him—a feeling he had never felt before. His heart was racing and his whole body felt like jelly. He closed his eyes tightly, and as he did her image appeared in his head. She seemed entirely different to him now. Her eyes were _gorgeous_; her smile was _pretty_; her laugh was _cute_—she was _beautiful_. He could feel himself blushing. He placed his hand over his fast beating heart and sighed contently. It was such a wonderful feeling. His whole body was at ease and he soon fell into a deep sleep.

----

"Wakey wakey!"

"Zatch?"

"Wakeup sleepyhead!"

Zatch's eyes reluctantly opened halfway. He was having such a great dream...

He mumbled a bit.

"Tia?" He called out groggily.

The girl, who stood leaning over Zatch with her face not far from his own, suddenly pulled back.

"Tia? No, I'm not Tia. Were you...dreaming about her?" The girl asked curiously.

Zatch was still half-asleep and nodded unknowingly. "And yellowtail." He murmured.

"Uh-huh..." The girl said, not knowing how to reply to him.

Zatch's eyes suddenly shot open fully, and he was now alert and completely awake.

"Oh, Kolulu! Uhm, I uh, what I mean is..." He was spitting out random words, speaking before he could think of something to say. Finally, he thought of something. "...What are you doing here?"

Kolulu put a finger to her chin. "Well, I haven't seen you in a while, so I thought I'd drop by. I didn't mean to intrude or anything."

Zatch shook his head frantically, "No no, it's okay." He assured her.

She turned around and looked at the bed, its covers strewn everywhere. She then returned her attention to Zatch.

"Why were you sleeping out here anyways?" She asked as she raised one of her eyebrows. She was giving him quite the questioning stare.

His mind went back to last night as he began to remember what had happened. He could feel his face reddening as he re-imagined it all. For once, his face was a cherry. He stood up suddenly.

"Oh well would you look at the time! Haha, I gotta' go!" He blurted as he tapped his finger against a watch on his wrist that wasn't really there. He then ran from the balcony, into the room, and out the door, leaving a puzzled Kolulu all alone.

----

He felt rather guilty ditching Kolulu like that, but these new feelings he was experiencing were really messing with him. He thought it would be best to try to ignore them for the time being, as he had more 'kingly duties' to attend to. He sat down in his large throne and waited for the audiences to begin for the day. However, something else happened: Rein approached him and bowed. This wasn't new to him, but he didn't expect to meet with Rein until after the audiences.

"My lord," Rein addressed as he dropped to one knee, "We have a situation."

"What is it?" Zatch asked him straightforwardly, trying to move the conversation along as quickly as possible.

"There has been a breach within the law." He told him. He paused afterwards, as if waiting for Zatch to ask 'what do you mean,' in which he did.

"What do you mean?" Zatch asked a bit annoyed. The formalness was irritating him.

"A group of Mamodo have begun casting spells within the town. They are causing quite the panic." Rein had finally gotten to the point. It seemed to trouble Zatch greatly.

"Deal with it immediately! Send the entire Royal Guard if you must!"

Rein stood. "As you wish." He said. He then bowed and quickly made his way from the throne room.

----

Kanchomé was panicking.

This was no surprise.

The duck-boy Mamodo dropped to the ground and covered his head with his hands. Chaos was running rampant all around him. A group of Mamodo had suddenly started to attack the small town, and Kanchomé was now taking shelter next to the large statue of King Zatch.

"Amu Garuginisu!"

Kanchomé's eyes shot open as he heard that vaguely familiar spell, that vaguely familiar voice. He suddenly heard a loud crumbling sound, which was followed by the head of Zatch's statue coming crashing down a few inches from Kanchomé's body. He let out a girly scream as he stared into the stone eyes of the statue's face.

"Eeeeeeeeep!"

He quickly stood up, and as he did he saw two spring-like arms tear the remainder of the statue clean from its plinth. Kanchomé stood there frightened as a familiar Mamodo climbed onto the plinth where the statue of King Zatch once stood.

"Ahem!" The strange Mamodo cleared his throat. "Ludwig van Beethoven's 9th Symphony: Ode to Joy!"

The Mamodo began to wave his arms around in the air—along with his baton—in a conductor-like manner; all while singing horrid random gibberish.

Kanchomé knew all to well who it was: Kiees!

_So he's the one causing all this! I'll stop him right here, right now! Iron Man Kanchomé will save the day!_

Kanchomé built up his courage, and then raised his fist into the air.

"Iron Man Kanchomé~!

"Invincible Kanchomé~!

"Iron Man Kanchomé~!

"He always wins the day~!"

There was a long silence after Kanchomé finished his song. All of the Mamodo suddenly stopped what they were doing, including Kiees who was performing his 'Ode to Joy.'

Nobody moved.

Nobody said a word.

They all just stared at Kanchomé, until finally...

"You _dare_ interrupt my glorious performance with that filth song?!" Kiees exclaimed as he got right up to Kanchomé's face. He was glaring harshly at the duck-boy, who in response began to back up in fear.

"Wait a minute..." Kiees murmured as he began to finally calm down. He examined Kanchomé thoroughly, taking a good, long look at him.

"It's you!" Kiees shouted, his fury coming back. "Oh-hohoho, this day just keeps getting better!" He stated between laughs. His anger seemed to subside again. He pulled out a cigar, and after he placed it in his mouth, lit the tip with his baton. He exhaled a big cloud of smoke.

"You're that duck-brat from before." He said as he began to inhale more of his cigar.

Kanchomé shook his head frantically, "No no, you must be thinking of some other 'duck-brat.' Ahaha..." His laughing was clearly showing his nervousness.

Kiees clenched his teeth, causing his cigar to break and fall to the ground.

"Don't play dumb with me, boy; I won't ever forget that horrid melody! I've been waiting so long for this day..." He lifted arms up as he spoke.

"Amu Garuginisu!"

His spring-like arms extended at immense speeds towards Kanchomé as a green light began to envelop them. Kanchomé let out another girlish scream as they drew nearer.

"Eeeeeeeeekk!"

----

Kolulu could hear a distant rumble as she stared out at the dark clouds on the horizon. The sun had just been blotted out by the clouds. It was a gloomy sight, and it caused the pink-haired Mamodo girl to frown. She spun around and made her way off the balcony and back into her room. From there she proceeded out into the hallway. She was awfully bored and decided to go see Zatch, as their last encounter ended rather abruptly. He was acting rather strange and she wanted to know why.

She began making her way down the seemingly endless hallway when the sudden sound of scampering feet caught her attention. She stopped and looked over her shoulder, only to see Ted running towards her.

"Where are you off to in such a hurry?" She asked once he was within earshot. Ted stopped running and approached her in a calmer manner.

"Didntcha' hear?" He asked her as if he was expecting her to already know.

She shook her head. "Hear what?" She asked.

Ted smirked as he pounded his fist into his palm.

"Some group of Mamodo started to attack the town. I dunno' about you, but I'm itchin' for a fight!" He exclaimed cheerfully. His gleeful expression turned to confusion upon seeing Kolulu's terrified face.

"That's terrible!" Kolulu's voice was full of concern.

"Uh, yeah...terrible!" He repeated in a somewhat sarcastic tone as he scratched the back of his head. He then held out his hand, giving a thumbs-up as his big grin returned. "But that's why I'm going to help!" He exclaimed in a chivalric voice.

Kolulu, however, was already halfway down the hallway.

"Then let's go!" She shouted back to him. Ted stood there dumbfounded for a minute.

"Uh, right!" He responded as he burst into a run, soon catching up with her.

They made their way through the many corridors of the palace and down numerous staircases until finally they reached the large double-doors that led to the outside. They approached them, yet Ted suddenly stopped as he reached for the handles. He heard something.

_What is that? It almost sounds like..._

A boom of thunder echoed from the nearing clouds. Ted's eyes suddenly widened.

"Watch out!" He shouted. He dove at Kolulu and embraced her, both of them falling to the floor as a blast of blue lightening blew through the large doors. It shattered both doors and sent them hurdling into the air.

"Are you all right?" Ted asked as he helped Kolulu stand. She nodded.

"What's the meaning of this?!" Ted demanded to know as he turned his attention to the two Mamodo that now stood in front of them: Zeno and Brago.

"You know what to do." Brago said as he began to walk forward. He walked right past Ted and Kolulu without even looking at them.

"Of course." Zeno replied with a chuckle.

Ted turned around and dashed at Brago with his fist pulled back and ready to strike.

"Where do you think you're going?!" He shouted at Brago, who didn't stop moving nor even turned around.

"Zakeru."

A bright flash erupted behind Ted, which was followed by a painful scream. Ted gasped as he stopped and turned around. He saw Kolulu's body flying through the air towards him, electricity coursing through her.

"Kolulu!" He cried out as he ran desperately towards her. He caught her and instantly began to shake her.

"Kolulu! Kolulu!"

She began to stir in his arms and soon opened her eyes.

"I'm fine..." She murmured in a weak voice. He let out a sigh of relief at her comment.

"How touching," Zeno said with a small laugh as he extended his arm at them, "Zakeruga."

A beam of spiraling blue lightening emerged from Zeno's hand. Its energy tore up the ground as it flew towards Ted and Kolulu at a great speed. There was no time to dodge. Ted readied himself to take the blunt of the attack as he shielded Kolulu in an embrace.

"Ma Seshield!"

It happened so quickly that Ted and Kolulu barely noticed it. The large shield that was now holding off the attack had suddenly appeared in front of them. They stared at it in disbelief and watched as large cracks began to form in the shield.

"Well don't just sit there! Move!"

Ted snapped out of it and quickly got out of the way while carrying Kolulu. The shield broke and vanished as they did, and the beam of lighting tore into the nearby wall.

"Meru-meru-mie!"

An armor-clad and flame-engulfed Ponygon suddenly flew into the scene with an angry cry. He dove right at Zeno, landing a successful blow that set the Mamodo skidding backwards quite a distance. His stance, however, didn't falter the slightest and he remained on his feet.

"Well well well..." He said somewhat surprised as he surveyed the scene.

In front of him was Ponygon. He seemed to be powered up with his 'Dioemur Shudoruk' spell. Not far behind Ponygon was both Ted and Kolulu, both of which were now back on their feet. And on the far right, just now descending the staircase, was Tia.

"...What have we here?" Zeno's eyes fell upon Ponygon. "We have the wimpy horse," from Ponygon to Tia, "The brat," from Tia to Ted, "The punk," and finally his eyes rested on Kolulu, "And...sweet Kolulu." He concluded with a grin.

Both Ponygon and Ted grunted at his remark. Tia, however, exploded again.

"Who are you calling a brat?!" She shouted as she shook her fist angrily.

Zeno laughed menacingly. "This should be fun." He stated nonchalantly. Everyone gasped at his comment.

"Shall we get started?" He asked as an evil grin curled onto his lips.

----

Zatch was walking sluggishly down the large rug of the throne room. He had heard loud crashing noises coming from below and decided to see what the heck was going on. He opened the throne room doors, and as he did a large orb of dark energy smashed into his body. It carried him all the way down the throne room and through the back wall of the palace. It held his body suspended in the air over the large field behind the palace. The orb began to dissipate, and as it did his body came crashing down onto the earth below.

The boy lay there cringing in pain. His consciousness slowly came to, as did his vision. He sat up, breathing heavily from the pains that swelled inside of him. Standing in front of him with a hateful glare was Brago.

Brago slowly extended his arm, the palm of his hand pointed directly at Zatch.

"The reign of the 'Kind King' ends here...!"

A.N. Oh boy, a cliffhanger! Three of them actually! Oh noes! Next time we kick it off with the start of the first of the three epic battles. Go, Iron Man Kanchomé! On a side note, if there are any mistakes in this chapter do not hesitate to point them out.


	3. The Sound of Thunder

A.N. All right, so...it's been ages since I've updated this story. I hope my fans are still out there. Don't give up hope in me! Haha. With all do respect to myself, I would have given up hope in me too by now. But hey; I wrote another chapter. Woohoo! Originally, this was to be chapter four. However! Because I took so dang long to write one (and because this one was fun to write,) I present to you what is probably the best chapter of the story: The fight against Zeno, the Thunder Emperor. My treat to you. You get it far earlier because of my slacking. Now this entire chapter is all fighting, so I understand if you become lost, as it is impossible for a writer to give his readers the exact visual image that he has in his mind as he writes an action scene. Conveying such a message exactly as supposedly intended is, and probably always will be, impossible! I will write more in depth about this chapter in the other author notes at the bottom of the page. I wouldn't want to spoil anything. Oh, and to get the best results, open your mind to all possibilities before reading. Now, with that done...enjoy!

* * *

"Shall we get started?"

"You bet!"

With this reply Ted wasted no time and dove in for an attack. He was itching for a fight, and now he got his wish with the honor of fighting Thunder Emperor Zeno—Zatch's brother.

He started with a strong punch that Zeno simply tilted his head to avoid; he threw another jab that Zeno dodged with a simple motion yet again. He tried an uppercut, which made the silver-haired Mamodo jump backwards to evade. All of these were executed with superb speed, and it startled Ted that not a single one connected with the target. He grunted, and then leaped at the still-airborne enemy with a roundhouse kick. But that too failed as Zeno blocked it with almost minimal effort, stopping the kick with the outside of his arm.

"Huh, I expected more." Zeno stated impertinently. Ted sneered at him. Zeno grasped Ted's leg with both of his hands as he landed, and then spun around to gain momentum. He released the leg, tossing the fighter into the air. Zeno extended his hand quickly.

"Zakeruga." He spoke dully as he lined the spell up perfectly with Ted. It would have been a direct hit if Ponygon hadn't leaped into the air and pulled the Mamodo boy to safety.

Zeno frowned, "How bothersome." He lifted left arm up to the opposite shoulder, "Zakeru!" He shouted as he slashed his arm horizontally through the air in front of him. The lightning attack was morphed by the motion, and struck at all four of his opponents like a whip. He lifted his arm again to repeat the attack. "Zakeru!"

Tia recovered and acted quickly, "Giga La Seoshi!"

With her words, a strange bubble-like shield took form around the Thunder Emperor. It was too late for him to stop his attack, however, and as the lightning burst forth from his hand, it ricocheted off of the shield and came back at him. It singed the skin on his extended arm, but he remained standing. He clenched his pain-stricken fist and with a great display of strength, punched the shield that was containing him, shattering it to pieces.

Ponygon was already on him before he had a chance to think. The horse-like creature smashed into him, powered up with his 'Dioemur Shudoruk' spell. He was able to withstand the attack though, and moreover was able to launch a direct counter as he was skidding backwards.

"Zakeru!" Zeno shouted; his hand extended towards the horse-like creature. The spell zapped Ponygon and caused him to fall to his knees momentarily. He quickly regained his stance, however, and dove once more at the Thunder Emperor.

"Zakeru!" He shouted once more. Another crackle of lightning zipped towards Ponygon. The horse-like creature lowered its head slightly before the lightning hit him. His bladed horn split the lightning and caused the attack to diverge around his body, nullifying the damage. It was now too late for Zeno to get out of the way. Ponygon landed in front of him. Zeno braced himself for the oncoming attack. The horse-like creature pushed off of the ground with a great force and rammed himself into Zeno. The two seemed to become one blurry entity that soared through the air to the outside of the palace.

Kolulu suddenly gasped and broke into a run, "Ponygon!" She shouted. The rest of the group followed her to the outside of the palace, where they came to behold the ensuing battle between Ponygon and Zeno.

It seemed that both fighters were on the defensive: Zeno was taking careful measures to keep Ponygon at bay with his Zakeru spell, and Ponygon was encircling his opponent from a distance while dodging the violent bursts of lightning.

Ted sped up, "Come-on! We have to help him!" He stated as he burst from the rest of the group.

Zeno turned his head and caught a glimpse of the approaching Ted. Ponygon saw this as an opening. The horse-like creature broke from his circling path and jumped into the air, aiming to pounce on Zeno. But Zeno was too keen-eyed and saw the attack. He lifted his hand into the air.

"Zakeru." Another burst of lightning emitted from his hands and hit Ponygon, stunning him. His body came crashing down into Zeno's aggressive grip, who then spun and launched Ponygon, like he had thrown Ted earlier. He had thrown Ponygon towards Ted, and like before, he lined his hand up with his airborne target. "Zakeruga!" Zeno shouted. The swirling beam of lightning was headed straight for Ponygon and Ted.

"Ma Seshield!" Tia's voice echoed throughout the air as a large circular shield burst forth from nothingness in front of Ponygon and Ted. The lightning beam collided with the shield and sent cracks throughout it. Ted caught Ponygon and readied to get out of the way, but stopped. Tia's shield had withstood the attack.

Tia sighed and lowered her arms, causing the shield to vanish. She saw Ted smile brightly at her and give her a thumbs-up. She smiled back weakly and gave out a small chuckle.

"You all are very annoying."

The group returned their attention to Zeno who had just spoken.

"I will not allow you to waste any more of my time…" The Thunder Emperor clasped his hands together in front of him, "Let us end this." He lifted his hands above his head as he finished. "Sorudo Zakeruga!"

The group's eyes widened as a ridiculously huge blade of lightning formed in Zeno's hands. Zeno held it there for a moment, and then with a grin, rested it over his shoulder. He released one hand from the blade and extended it towards the group. His grin grew devilish, and he signaled for them to "bring it on" with his extended hand.

Ted and Ponygon retreated back to the rest of the group.

"Wh-what're we going to do?" Kolulu stuttered in panic. She bit her bottom lip.

Ted lowered his head in thought for a moment, "I can take him down in close-combat." He stated as he raised his head, "But I'll need time to prepare…"

Tia quickly glanced over her shoulder to assess the situation; Zeno was still standing quite a distance away with his devilish grin and ridiculously large sword of lightning. She returned her attention to the group and nodded.

"Okay. We'll keep him busy while you get ready, Ted. How long do we have to hold out?" Tia asked hesitantly.

Ted laughed nervously and scratched the back of his head, "Uhm, well…about five minutes or so?" He responded unsure.

Tia sighed heavily, "We have no choice." She glanced at Ponygon and then at Kolulu. "Let's get this over with." She said nervously, and then turned towards her opponent. Kolulu and Ponygon joined her side.

"Meru mei!" Ponygon began swinging his arms and shaking his head frantically, "Meru mei mei meru meru mei!"

Kolulu and Tia looked at the horse-like creature awkwardly, "What is it?" They both asked in unison.

Ted suddenly butted in, "Who knows? But just distract him. Don't try to attack."

Ponygon suddenly nodded repeatedly at Ted's advice, but nobody noticed. The horse-like creature sighed and readied himself. Nervousness overcame the three as they ran towards Zeno. They could hear Ted who stayed back, "Sekan Naguru!" He had powered himself up to "gear" one.

As the three closed in, Zeno grasped his blade with both hands once more and brought it in front of him. Suddenly, he burst forth from his spot towards Tia, Kolulu, and Ponygon. He was surprisingly agile for lugging around such a gigantic weapon. The three gasped simultaneously and dashed off to different sides; Ponygon and Kolulu to the right and Tia to the left. Zeno brought the sword above his head and then slammed the blade against the ground once he was within range. The clash was earth-shattering. The tremors caused the three to lose balance and fall to the ground. It seemed impossible, but Zeno had already lifted the sword out of the ground and was about to bring it down upon Tia. She gasped and her eyes widened, fixated on the large sword coming down onto her.

"Ma Seshield!" She screamed in fear. Her shield appeared above her but shattered instantly upon contact with the blade.

"Ma Seshield!" She screamed the spell again. Once more, the shield appeared. It cracked up contact with the blade, and then shattered again.

"Ma Seshield!" For a third time the panicking girl screamed the spell. Another shield appeared. The sword struck it, but this time the shield withstood the attack.

Tia began to back out from under her shield, which was so close that it was pressing against her body. She managed to squeeze out from under it completely, and then she ran as fast as she could away from Zeno, her heart racing. The shield faded, and Zeno's sword gently landed against the ground.

The Thunder Emperor let out a wicked cackle, "How amusing!"

"Sazu Naguru!" Ted's voice could be heard as he powered himself up to "gear" two.

Tia collapsed to her knees and clenched her hand over her heart. Her eyes closed tightly as tears escaped them. She tried her hardest to calm herself. She let out loud gasps and sobs, and then stood and regained her composure the best she could. She opened her eyes only to see Zeno charging at her yet again. She broke into a panicked run and screamed.

Zeno brought his sword down upon her again. She dove and just barely got out of the sword's range. As the sword hit the ground, the red-haired Mamodo girl was sent tumbling from the shockwave.

In an attempt to rescue the Mamodo girl, Ponygon neglected his own advice and launched an attack against the Thunder Emperor. Like before, he jumped into the air, aiming to pounce on Zeno; and like before, Zeno's keen eyes saw the attack. With one hand, Zeno lifted the sword from the ground, spun around, and slashed it into the air behind him. The sword struck the horse-like creature, zapping him with electricity. Zeno followed through with his attack, continuing the swing all the way to the ground, smashing Ponygon beneath the electrified blade. The horse-like creature lay motionless, and his power-up spell faded from him.

"Forusu Naguru!" Ted's voice could be heard again as he powered himself up to "gear" three.

"P-Ponygon!" Tia screamed.

Zeno laughed as he pulled back on the sword, the blade dragging against Ponygon's body. "Now we're getting somewhere," He stated.

Tia was helped up by Kolulu, and both Mamodo girls fixated their hateful eyes onto Zeno. The Thunder Emperor removed his sword from the horse-like creature's body and rested the blade against his shoulder with one hand. He then turned his head to the side to see the two Mamodo girls glaring at him. He smirked.

"Such nasty scowls." He said dully. He began to approach the two.

Tia began to tug on Kolulu's sleeve, "What are we going to do!" She asked in a panicked tone. Kolulu seemed calm, however; her eyes were closed, her head tilted down, and her hands placed on her heart.

"Shin…" Kolulu began.

Zeno suddenly froze and his eyes widened.

_A 'Shin' level spell?_

The Thunder Emperor burst forth towards the pair at an incredible speed and readied his sword to strike.

"…Raifojio!" Kolulu finished. A strange aura engulfed both of the Mamodo girls completely.

Zeno brought down his sword upon Kolulu.

Tia snapped her eyes shut.

There was a loud clashing noise.

Followed by a long silence.

The red-haired Mamodo girl slowly opened her eyes, which revealed to her an astonishing sight: Kolulu stood firm with the Thunder Emperor's sword against her forehead. She was completely unscathed.

Zeno grunted and retreated back from the pair.

Tia turned to Kolulu, "How did you…?" Tia asked in awe. But before she received an answer, Kolulu's body gave out on her, and the girl collapsed. She had covered not one, but two with her strongest spell. She had exceeded her limit.

"Kolulu!" Tia cried the Mamodo girl's name as she kneeled next to her. Tia did not receive any answer—Kolulu's eyes were shut and her body relaxed in a peaceful rest.

Tia rose and fixated her eyes unto the Thunder Emperor once again. He grinned sinisterly at her, and then started to charge at her, his ridiculously large sword gripped with both hands.

"Fifisu Naguru!" Ted's voice was heard once more as he powered himself up to "gear" four.

Zeno pulled his sword back and then began to slash it horizontally at the red-haired Mamodo girl…

…But he was cut-off. A gust of wind seemed to hit the Thunder Emperor, followed by a sharp pain in his gut. All he could see as his head fell limp was a black jacket. Zeno lost his grip on his sword and his body was sent hurdling backwards through the air. He skidded against the ground quite a ways before coming to a stop, his body twitching from the great pain in his stomach. His sword still held the momentum from his attempted attack, and it soared towards Tia. She collapsed to the ground and placed her hands on the back of her head as the sword passed over her body, missing her by just a hair. The blade hit the ground, skidded, and then dissipated into crackles of electricity that rose into the air quickly before vanishing completely.

Zeno coughed up blood as he rose. His stance faltered, and he fell to one knee. He spat on the ground, painting a small spot red with bloody saliva. He stared at it momentarily. Anger was swelling inside of him at the view of his own blood. He lifted his head up to see a firmly-standing Ted a few yards away. Ted's appearance had been greatly changed by his power-up spells. His hair was standing on end, and strange, misty, yellow energies seemed to be twisting around his body.

Zeno began to stand, and the second he started to move, Ted began to rush him. Zeno caught glimpse of it and threw his body off to the side to try and escape his grasp. But it was futile. Ted began to skid to a stop as Zeno threw himself to the side. The fighter stopped just a foot past the Thunder Emperor, and while he was still off-guard, delivered a devastating roundhouse kick to the Thunder Emperor's chest, sending him hurdling through the air once again.

He hit the ground hard and his body went into a tumble. He quickly regained his stance with a strenuous effort, however, and stood. He held his hands together above his head.

"Sorudo Zakeruga!" The Thunder Emperor summoned his ridiculously large sword again and held it pointing to the sky. Ted began to instantly rush him once more.

"Rauzaruk!" Zeno called out a second spell just as Ted pulled back his fist to strike. A rainbow-colored aura shot down from the sky like a lightning bolt and struck Zeno, and as Ted threw his punch, he hit nothing.

Ted blinked dumbfounded. Zeno has vanished!

"Wh-wha—" Ted's surprised statement was halted as he was nailed in the side of the head by Zeno's sword. The blow decked the fighter unto the ground, where the other side of his head was dealt a hard blow by the ground.

Being so far powered-up allowed him to stand almost immediately. Pains surged through his skull, but he did his best to ignore them. The fighter jumped back a few times to put distance between him and his opponent. He examined the Thunder Emperor.

_So he has strengthening spells too…uh-oh, here he comes!_

Ted snapped out of his thoughts and readied himself for the fast approaching Zeno, whose sword was ready to strike.

"Chaziru Seoshidon!" As Tia's spell was cast and the large goddess's shield was summoned in front of Ted, he felt something inside him 'click.'

The sword landed against the shield, cracking even one of Tia's strongest defences. Ted stood motionless for a moment. He clenched his fists and smirked.

"Aw, hell yeah!" The fighter screamed at the top of his lungs as fire filled his eyes, "Doragunon Dionaguru!"

An explosion of pure energy blew out from Ted's body. It shattered Tia's shield completely and sent Zeno flying backwards yet again. The yellow energy that had surrounded Ted's body had multiplied by the double-digits. It now swelled and engulfed his entire body. His muscles had expanded, and the ground beneath his feet had become cratered.

He lowered his stance into that of a track athlete preparing to run, "It's go time, baby!" He shouted. He exploded into a physic-defying dash towards the Thunder Emperor. The land around him was torn apart as he zipped towards his opponent. Zeno didn't even have time to think—his stomach was hit with another brutal punch that sent him skyward. Before he could feel the pain, his back was hit with another attack. As he plummeted towards the ground, the side of his chest was pounded by a strong kick. The pain of the first punch that hit his stomach just began to set in when another blow struck his body.

The red-haired Mamodo girl watched from afar with her jaw agape. The sight was…it was unreal. There was no sign of Ted anywhere, just pulsating disturbances in the air each time Zeno's body was sent hurdling a different direction. Zeno was airborne and trapped in what Tia made out to be a sort of sphere after a few moments: a sphere of consecutive physical attacks that were executed with such superb and unreal speed that the eye could not follow. The insanity continued for an entire minute before the sphere was broken with a smashing blow that sent Zeno crashing into the ground like a meteor that sent larges cracks through the earth all around him.

Ted was finally visible again as he seemed to almost teleport right beside the fallen Thunder Emperor. The fighter pried the sword from Zeno's limp hand, lifted Zeno into the air, tossed him up, and with both hands gripping the blade tightly, slammed it into the underside of Zeno's chin, sending him airborne for a final time.

"That's a homerun!" Ted shouted enthusiastically. He placed his hands over his eyebrows and squinted to give more realism to his ploy.

When the Thunder Emperor's body hit the ground some forty yards away, the sword in Ted's hands dissipated like before. Ted's power-ups faded and he fell backwards onto the ground. He spread his body out and relaxed. Tia came running to the fighter's side.

"That was incredible!" Tia screamed excitedly, "Was that really you doing all that?" She asked with a bright smile on her face.

Ted chuckled and smiled back, "You betcha'," he replied. "I really don't think he'll be getting up any time so—"

"Jigadirasu Uruzakeruga!"

Ted immediately sat up, and both his and Tia's eyes became filled with horror as a large celestial being blotted out the sky.

Ted scooted back and bumped against Tia's skirt, "There's no freakin' way he could still…!" The fighter was unable to comprehend how—after such a beating—that Zeno could still cast a spell. Tia clung tightly to Ted's arm.

Lightning began to seep from five particular points on the celestial being. The lightning crawled through the air slowly like snakes and eventually converged into one focal point that grew larger by the second.

Tia suddenly gasped as her mind flashed back to when Kolulu took Zeno's sword to the forehead and was unharmed. She thought hard about that moment and about the spell that Kolulu had cast prior to it. She remembered that she too was effected by the spell. She peered down at her hands and saw the faint aura still looming around them.

"That's it!" Tia shouted as she let go of Ted's arm and stood up.

"What's what?" Ted asked panicked, his eyes glued to the impending doom in the sky.

Tia pointed at the entity in the sky while looking down at Ted. Her face was filled with confidence. "Throw me at that…thing!" She demanded.

Ted's eyes drifted to hers, and he looked at her with an expression that clearly said 'idiot.'

"Are you crazy?" Ted screamed at her. Tia started to become frustrated and began strangling the fighter.

"Just do it!" She hollered at him. She released him and he robbed his neck. He then stood.

"Whatever…if you say so." He told her.

He grasped her arm tightly and began to swirl her around him to gain momentum. The red-haired Mamodo girl felt like her arm was being torn off. They picked up speed, and her pain increased. Finally, with one last twirl, Ted released her into the air at the celestial being. She was lined up perfectly with the ever-growing focal point.

She soared towards it. She began to doubt her sloppy plan, but it was too late for her to go back now. She closed her eyes and began to think of Zatch. If she was going to die, she wanted him to be the last thing she thought about.

The focal point exploded into a magnificent and overwhelmingly large beam of lighting that swallowed up Tia's body. Ted swallowed hard and watched anxiously as the beam approached him. It drew closer and closer and closer…

…but then it suddenly stopped and drew further and further and further away. It was as if it was being sucked back into the focal point. As the beam shrunk, Tia could be seen again. The aura that surrounded her body was absorbing the lightning at a tremendous rate. Soon it was gone, as was the aura, and the celestial being.

Her body still held momentum from the throw, however she was now descending. She peered down below her and saw Zeno beginning to stand. Her descent was perfectly lined up with him.

She grinned, "It's over!" She shouted.

The Thunder Emperor looked up to see Tia with her fist pulled back just mere feet above him. He couldn't move. His body was beaten and torn and exhausted. He watched helplessly as she delivered a punch to his forehead. She followed through with the punch and smashed his head into the ground as she landed on top of him.

The Thunder Emperor had been defeated.

Tia rose and brushed herself off. She took in a deep breath and peered down at the unconscious Zeno. She exhaled and then looked around her at the devastation. The land was cracked, torn, or excavated in numerous places. In some it was all three. She caught glimpse of Ponygon who was beginning to stir. She sighed in relief at that. Her gaze moved to Ted who was now at Kolulu's side. He was holding her tenderly and stroking her hair softly. She smiled softly at the only peaceful sight amidst this devastation. She slowly began to approach Ted and Kolulu, as did Ponygon.

"It's finally over…" Ted murmured as he continued to stroke Kolulu's hair. His eyes were locked on her peaceful face. "I'm glad we all made it out alive." He quickly added.

"Yeah…" Tia replied quietly. A silence befell the group. Suddenly, Ted gasped.

"Brago!" Ted shouted in dismay.

"Brago?" Tia repeated.

Ted looked up at the red-haired Mamodo girl and nodded, "Yes! Brago! He was with Zeno, but went on further into the palace. He must be after—"

"Zatch!" Tia interrupted Ted, and then broke into a run towards the castle.

_Please Zatch, please be all right!_

_

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_

A.N. Okay, so this fight is rather long in my opinion. My word count without these author notes is at 4,000+ words. That's a lot of action. Anyways, I guess I'll take a few moments to explain some of this battle. Originally, none of this was intended beyond the part where Ponygon knocked Zeno out of the palace. I had everything before that point written about a year ago. Everything beyond that point is fresh and within the last few days. I had an entirely different plan for this fight back then, but sadly I forgot how it went. So I made up a new one. Er, actually I made a few key points and filled in between them with senseless beatings. The first of the key points was Ponygon knocking Zeno outside of the palace. The second was Zeno summoning his sword. There were about six or seven of these key points that I mapped out. I must say, making key points in a battle makes writing it a whole lot easier then just going with the flow. This is the first time I've done such a thing, so let me know if it turned out good or not. I hope you enjoyed. The original chapter three, er, four now, will be posted...eventually. Until then, see ya'!_  
_


	4. Iron Man Kanchomé

A.N. So I'm here with the original chapter three, now chapter four. This one is far shorter than the last, sorry about that. But at least it was uploaded ten times faster compared to the previous one! If this chapter's wording seems different, it is because I just switched back to third-person writing after doing nothing but first-person writing for the past month. I'll explain why in the ending Author's Notes.

* * *

Kanchomé dove.

Kiees' spring-like arms stretched to absurd lengths as they flew over the duck-boy's body.

Kanchomé opened one eye and peeked around hastily. He saw Kiees standing a distance from him, Kiees' springy arms stretched out towards him; but he didn't see the hands. The duck-boy let his other eye open and he boldly stood up with fake courage.

"Aha!" Kanchomé yelled a short, nervous yet prideful laugh. Just as he was about to say something cunning, the duck-boy was hit in his back. He felt a tiny pinch on both sides of his lower back, as well as the world whooshing around him. He was being swiftly pulled towards Kiees as the springy arms retracted.

"Wh-what? No!" Kiees shouted as he watched the duck-boy unwillingly being pulled towards him. The speed of retraction increased. "Stay away!" Kiees yelled, his head shaking frantically as he spoke. But it was futile. There was a violent collision between the two screaming Mamodo, and a thick cloud of dust was thrown up as Kiees was decked to the ground.

Some of the rebellious Mamodo stopped their run of carnage on the town and tuned in on the events conspiring between Kiees and Kanchomé.

The duck-boy rose holding his head. He stood fully, and peered down at the dazed Kiees at his feet. Kanchome hastily backed away nervously and peered around at the aggressive Mamodo watching him. He gulped fearfully as his eyes shifted between the Mamodo glaring at him.

"Why you little…!"

Kanchomé jumped at these words; Kiees was getting up!

Kiees now stood fully, sort of. It seemed that he had sustained an injury in his leg from the collision. He was now limping.

"Gigano Ginisu!" Kiees spell was filled with fury. Arrows appeared behind his body and bent around his torso, head, and legs, all of them pointing towards Kanchomé. The arrow tips all touched and created an aura of energy that blew forth from the spot. The blast hit Kanchomé and sent him flying backwards, right through the window of a nearby building.

Kiees lowered his stance and let his weight fall onto his uninjured leg. "Hmph." He grunted. "Bravo!" He shouted enthusiastically. There was a moment of silence.

_What's that sound?_

Kiees put his hand to his ear as he thought this. He leaned forward slightly.

"Iron man…"

Kiees stood straight—as straight as he could with his limping leg—and became alarmed.

"What?" He shouted furiously.

The door to the building opened violently, the backside of it being smashed into the wall so hard that is fell off of its hinges afterwards. Kiees watched in disbelief as Kanchomé dramatically walked out of the doorway that was shrouded in a cloud of dust. Kanchomé's bangs were covering his eyes, and his head was tilted down. Suddenly, his head rose and fiery eyes met Kiees.

"Kanchomé~! Invincible Kanchomé~! Iron man Kanchomé~!"

Kiees began to back up fearfully as Kanchomé sang.

"He alwaaays saves the day~!" Kanchomé screamed the last line, and then he burst forth from his spot with his arms flailing in the air as he dashed towards Kiees. "Waaaaaaah~!" The duck-boy cried. Kanchomé collided with Kiees for a second time. The two Mamodo rolled on the ground before Kiees was able to pry and throw the duck-boy off of him.

Kiees rose, limping. "Enough of that blasted song!" He shouted as he watched Kanchomé lay on the ground. He extended his arms out in front of him, readying himself to use a spell, but before he could do so, Kanchomé rose and used one himself.

"Dima Buruk!" With his words, a cloud of white smoke surrounded Kanchomé's body.

"Ganzu Ginisu!" Kiees shouted his spell and fired multiple tiny arrows of energy into the white cloud that had appeared. He let his onslaught continue for a few seconds before ceasing. There was a short pause. Kiees kept his eyes fixated on the ever-growing cloud of white smoke. His eyes widened as eight Kanchomés burst forth from the smoke that then dissipated.

"Aha!" All the Kanchomés laughed in unison.

Kiees face scrunched up in anger. "Not this time!" Kiees yelled as he placed his hands on the ground beneath him, "Bravo!" He shouted. He pushed off of the ground with his hands, his arms extending and pushing the rest of his body skyward. His arms retracted to his body, and he held them in front of his body. All nine Kanchomés stood motionless and gazing upwards at the airborne Kiees. "Ganzu Ginisu!" Kiees let loose his spell once more, the tiny arrows of energy falling down towards the group of Kanchomés like a barrage.

"Run!" One of the Kanchomés hollered. The group dispersed into different directions, but two of them were caught in the barrage. Their bodies seemed to be spazzing as the energy arrows nicked at their body. One of the clones vanished in a poof of white smoke during the barrage, and the second fell to its knees after the attack stopped; it then fell forward and also vanished in a poof of white smoke as its body collided with the ground.

"Bravo!" Kiees shouted his redundant line, "That's two of you brats!"

Kiees body began to fall. He was about to extend his arms to break his drop when he heard a loud scream.

"Yaaaaaahh~!"

He heard the sound of a window shattering, and turned his head to the side to see one of the clones soaring through the air towards him. The clone had scaled the inside of a nearby building during Kiees attack, and had jumped through the top floor window in an insane attempt to attack Kiees.

"Stay away!" Kiees pleaded in distress. He shot out one of his spring-like arms. The palm of his hand smashed into the face of the airborne clone and sent it back through the window from which it came. The clone disappeared like the others had as its body was brutally slammed into the inside-wall of the building.

Kiees retracted his spring-like arm and smirked, although his joy was short-lived. As his hand came into view, he saw yet another clone of Kanchomé grasping it. There was nothing Kiees could do now.

"I said, stay away!" Kiees screamed as the clone of Kanchomé inevitably drew closer. When his arm was fully retracted, he was hit in the face by a nasty headbutt from the clone. Both of them began falling, their bodies picking up momentum as they did, until both crashed into the ground like a meteorite.

The clone had went away with a poof, and the cloud of white smoke momentarily made Kiees blind. Before Kiees was able to stand, he was pounced upon by one of the Kanchomé clones.

"Get off of me!" Kiees demanded. His demands were met with the opposite as another clone jumped on top of him. "Stop that!" He screeched. Another clone had joined in, followed by another, and finally by the fifth remaining Kanchomé who completed the dog-pile.

Kiees could feel his body being punished by kicks and punches and even biting from the Kanchomés. He squirmed and tried to break free without any success. His anger built up inside of him, and he let it out in the form of a spell.

"Dioga Ginisudon!"

Light began to emit from the small openings in the dog-pile. The light grew brighter and brighter until it finally exploded violently, sending all five Kanchomés hurdling into the air. The four remaining clones had taken the blunt of the attack and began vanishing into clouds of white smoke, one-by-one. The real Kanchomé hit the ground and skidded a few feet. He sat up, his fear-filled eyes fixated on the vehement Kiees.

Kiees broke into a mad dash towards Kanchomé, who began to panic. Kanchomé's hand scraped at the ground. Kiees was fast approaching.

"Shin...!" Kanchomé began loudly. Kiees hit the brakes; his feet skidded along the ground, kicking up dirt and dust. His arms were stretched out above his head, and his eyes were wide with shock as he stopped dead in front of Kanchomé. The duck-boy tightened his hand on the ground like a fist, and then launched the contents within it at Kiees' face. "...Dirt Throw! Aha!"

The grimy dirt flew into Kiees eyes and blinded him.

"My eyes, my eyes!" Kiees repeated over and over again. He clasped his hand over his eyes and his face cringed in pain from the burning sensation. Kanchomé took this opportunity to run.

Kiees squinted and caught glimpse of the the retreating duck-boy. "I won't let you get away with this!" He shouted in anger. "Amu Garuginisu!" With the words of his spell, Kiees shot his spring-like arms outward as a green aura surrounded his hands.

Kanchomé looked back and saw the hands coming right for him. He continued to run in panic as he screamed.

Suddenly, a thunderous roar drowned out everything else, followed by a earthshaking boom that caused Kanchomé to trip and fall. The hands flew over Kanchomé and missed like they had in the beginning.

Kiees opened his red and irritated eyes fully in complete and utter horror. Standing before him was an enormous blue bear creature with massive fangs and even more massive claws. The bear creature rose his thick and muscle-bound arms into the air, and came down with its claws unto Kiees' extended spring-like arms, severing them from the rest of Kiees' body.

Kiees couldn't move; he was frozen in fear with his mouth agape. The bear-like creature leaned forward face-to-face with Kiees and gave out a deafening roar so powerful that it carried with it a gust. The bear-like creature rose one hand into the air and clenched it, forming a gigantic fist that it then pounded into Kiees' puny body. The ground around Kiees cratered and split. The bear-like creature rose the same hand into the air above Kiees' now ground-imprinted body. This time, however, the bear-like creature released its fist and let its claws straight out. Everything seemed to fall deathly silent as the bear-like creature plunged its claws forcefully into the Mamodo body lying before it.

All of the rampaging Mamodo had become frozen in either fear or shock—some were even suffering from both.

The bear-like creature pulled up its clawed hand and let it fall to its side. Blood was dripping down its claws all the way to their tips, falling slowly to the ground.

There was a dramatic silence.

Nobody moved.

Nobody said a word.

Until the loud battle cries of the Royal Guard shattered it. The guards swarmed into the scene...

...and Kanchomé fainted.

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A.N. With this chapter, I also uploaded another story. While it isn't based on Zatch Bell, I would love it if you'd take a look at it as I have spent _a lot_ of time and hard work on it. For those of you interested, take a gander at my profile page to find it. It is based on the Star Ocean series, and is titled: "Star Ocean: Ashton's Story." Don't fret, though! Even if you have no clue what the Star Ocean genre is about, you can still read it as the story is a novelization! Hopefully some of you will read it. I consider it my best work to date, but I suppose I'll let the community decide that. Chapter one is all that is up of it now, although I have six more chapters spanning over 30,000+ words done, which will be uploaded one-by-one over a period of time. It is written in a form of first-person.

As for this story, "Rebellious," chapter five will be up eventually. It's the chapter you've all been waiting for...the final fight between Brago and Zatch!

...Too bad you'll have to wait a little longer.


	5. Kindness Versus Strength

A.N. I finally came back to this story. A lot has changed with my life, and with it I found my way back to reading over old works during late night hours. When I read over everything I had for chapter five, I decided to finish it. This was written over a few years span so the writing style might shift (I did not rewrite anything). I hope the fans of this story are still out there! Without further ado or wait, I give you chapter five!

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The wind swept through the scene of escalating intensity. The blonde-haired Mamodo boy seemed frozen in shock, his golden orbs locked onto the face of his assailant: Brago. It almost seemed as if the whole thing was a painting, and the two figures were lifeless as there was a lack of movement; and then, in the blink of an eye, both figures sparked to life.

Energy quickly assimilated in Brago's extended hand. The dark energy took the form of a small orb that then doubled in size as Brago shouted, "Reis!" Zatch rolled out of the way right before the spell slammed into the ground where he previously laid. The Mamodo king rose to his feet.

"Brago!" The Mamodo king called out, "What are you doing!?" He demanded to know. The only response Zatch received was Brago's hand extended in his direction again.

"Reis!"

Another sphere of blackest energy emitted from Brago's hand. The sphere blotted Brago from Zatch's sight. As it approached the Mamodo king, Brago appeared from behind it. It was too late for Zatch to react as he had jumped to the side to evade the spell. Brago's body made a single slow twirl in the air as he pushed off the ground; he then delivered a devastating roundhouse kick to the side of the Mamodo king's face. Zatch's face whiplashed to the side and was accompanied by a loud cracking sound and the pluvial discharge of saliva. Zatch unbelievably landed on his feet, however he stumbled a few steps before collapsing onto the ground.

"Is this it?" Brago murmured in an exasperated manner. He lifted up the Mamodo King by the collar of his garments. There was a short pause in which Brago continuously glared at Zatch's cringing face. "Is this all there is to the mighty king?" Brago asked mockingly. His eyes narrowed as he saw Zatch's lips move. The Mamodo king had whispered something, and now his mouth was hanging open and his eyes closed. Brago's eyes widened. Lightning burst forth from Zatch's mouth and hit Brago point-blank. The attack had caused him to lose hold of Zatch and to stumble backwards before he fell to one knee with electricity coursing throughout him. The energy soon filtered itself from Brago's body, and he lifted his head to see Zatch standing proudly a few feet in front of him.

Brago's lips curled into a smirk. "Now that's more like it." He stood as he spoke. "Reis!" Another orb of black energy shot out from his now extended hand. It was quickly cancelled out by a bolt of lightning from the Mamodo king, and the dark Mamodo barely had time to move to the side as another bolt of lightning whiplashed into the ground where he previously stood. In one hand another orb of black energy assimilated and his other was consumed by a dark aura.

"Gravirei…Reis!" The dark Mamodo called out his spells one after another, the first of which pounded down onto the Mamodo king. His body felt like it was being crushed by the black aura that had encircled the area around him. It was trying to take him down to the ground, but he fought to stay on his feet. Unfortunately, coming straight for him was a ball of dark energy. With his body as if it were shackled, he could do nothing but take the blunt of the spell. His body begged to recoil from the force, but under the weight of dark aura it instead had to absorb the shock.

His fists clenched and amidst his cries of agony he screamed, "Rauzaruk!"

The answer to his prayers came piercing through the clouds in the form lightning that struck him; energy surged throughout his body before resting into a multi-colored aura. In an instant he broke free from the imprisonment of his enemy's spell and charged him full force. Three quick punches were all evaded by the dark Mamodo, a kick that he blocked with his arm, another punch that he shifted his neck to avoid; an attempt to counterattack was a mistake for the dark Mamodo, whose arm was then grabbed. It felt as if his arm was being torn off as the Mamodo king yanked him overhead and slammed him into the ground. His eyes snapped shut upon impact, and when they opened a small fist was over his face.

"Stop this, Brago!" The king pleaded with his eyes glazed in regret.

The dark Mamodo grunted in disgust, "The Mamodo World needs a _strong_ king! Our race is one built on pride and strength, not weak beliefs of kindness!"

"What is so wrong with kindness?" Zatch retorted with sincere confusion. His mind couldn't wrap around the idea of kindness being a bad thing—it was unheard of, paradoxical even. When the dark Mamodo rolled away from him, Zatch didn't bother to pursue.

Standing, Brago eyed his opponent with detest. "Kindness is a disease. You would spread it like a plague until it changes the very thing that we are!"

"But it's what we need." The king proudly replied, fully aware and persistent of his own beliefs.

Brago shook his head, his hand once again extended. "Who are you to erase our beliefs with your own? You are a false king, nothing more than a tyrant forcing upon us your beliefs! Reis!" The end of his statement launched a spell from his hand in the direction of the tyrant he spoke of.

With his speed currently enhanced, dodging the spell proved effortless. The king believed it was foolish for his opponent to initiate close-combat again, but that's exactly what happened. Instead of seizing the opportunity to deal damage, the king enacted his belief of kindness and attempted to reason with his opponent while dodging the punches and kicks. "Hasn't there been enough fighting already?"

While still attempting to land a hit on the nimble king, Brago replied, "We _live_ to fight. You have outlawed the use of spells and are working towards ceasing future battling to determine a new king! You are stripping away the very culture of our race!" At this time the multi-color aura faded from the king and with it his nimbleness. Brago struck at him with his fist and then proceeded to hold the king in front of him by the collar of his garments. "And you are replacing it with that of those weak humans!" He shouted into the face of the king, his words carrying powerful emotions. He then hurled the king forward, "Gigano Reis!"

Airborne as he was, the king could do nothing to evade the attack. His body was rammed by the massive energy sphere, the unwelcome energy pushing into his body with harmful intent.

"Gravirei!"

The king was forced to the ground by the increase in gravity around him, the massive energy sphere following suit and adding another powerful force that beckoned his body be swallowed by the cracking earth around him. His screams made him unable to cast a spell and soon the earth toppled in on itself and buried him in a shallow grave.

As the massive dark sphere dissipated into crackles of energy, the dark Mamodo smirked at the befitting burial of the so-called tyrant. He gave the king not a second thought and turned to leave. A sound of shifting rocks halted him, and turning around he saw the king rising up from the earth.

"You're wrong, Brago!" He declared, hands on the rocky terrain around him and forcing him up from the small crater. He stood fully and proudly as he could with a limp arm and exhaustion. "The humans are not weak! They are stronger than us!"

Brago grimaced at those words, bile burning the back of his throat caused by powerful emotions of disgust. "You compare us to those _weaklings_?!"

Zatch closed his eyes momentarily and nodded. "Maybe they're not strong here," he lifted his less injured arm and flexed it, a symbol of strength, "But they are strong here," he brought his arm down and clasped his hand over his heart. "And that is what counts!"

"Reis!" Brago lashed out furiously in the form of an attack. The king's words made him sick.

Fighting would be unavoidable after all, Zatch decided. He knew it was wrong, but he also had learned that it was an ultimatum when two conflicting beliefs struggled for supremacy. Focusing on the sphere of energy approaching, he opened his mouth, "Zakeruga!"

The lightning beam spiraled forth and tore through the sphere of energy, disrupting its composition and causing it to implode. The dark Mamodo was hit with the unhindered beam of lightning. Trying to resist it as he skid backwards at high speeds only increased the strain and damage done, even though he was eventually successful in warding it off; his legs were shaky and wanted to give out on him as he remained standing afterwards.

"Zaker!"

The following burst of unfocused lightning brought the dark Mamodo to his knees as it coursed through his body. His pride had been broken from the electrical surge as he unwillingly kneeled before the king he claimed to be a tyrant. His hands went to the ground and balled into fists, scraping dirt as they did. Bowing before this _king_ was unacceptable. He rose and dashed at the king, initiating again close-combat regardless of the condition of his strained legs. His size gave him the advantage. He punched at the king, aiming towards his torso. The first attack was parried and the second was stopped by the king's hand grasping at Brago's wrist. The third, however, connected with the king's stomach; an attempt to block it was in vain as the king's injured arm still wouldn't respond fast enough. Freeing his other hand from the king's grasp, he planted another punch into the side of the king's face. A third successful attack came in the form of a knee to the chin, one that sent the king a short distance into the air.

"Gravirei!"

The increase in gravity once again pulled the king to the earth, this time amplified in force by the fall distance. A cry of pain was heard upon collision.

Brago extended both his hands over the earthbound king "Rior Reis!" With his words two green beams shot out from his palms and collided with the king, causing his body to curl and screams to escape his mouth.

The pain was excruciating and the attack seemed to go on forever. The green energy pierced into two separate spots on his body—his upper back and lower back—and he could do nothing to escape it. When the onslaught was over, he remained there, gasping and trembling from pain and exhaustion.

The dark Mamodo grunted and then began to walk away as the king struggled to rise. He kept walking, behind him the king falling once in his relentless struggle to stand. On the second try, the king made it to his feet; his opponent stood opposite of him, a distance spanning between the two.

"Only the strong have the right to judge." The dark Mamodo stated emotionlessly as he raised his hands into the air. A moment of silence passed and then the dark Mamodo slammed his hands downwards, "Baber Gravidon!"

Battered, torn, and exhausted, the Mamodo king could do nothing but wait for his end to come. He wasn't one to ever give up—and even now he was putting everything he had forward; but he had nothing left. Above him the black aura materialized and was about ready to come forcing down on him when he felt a different force, a strong push that sent him just outside the spell's radius. As he collided with the ground he could hear over the sonic-boom a scream that made him cringe. Alarmed, he turned to the source and became as white as a ghost.

Pinned to the ground under the immense gravity of the spell and face twisted in an incomprehensible pain was his dearest friend, someone he had been dying to see again.

"Tia!" He cried out desperately.

She didn't reply right away as she struggled to move her head to look at him. Soon he could see her pain-stricken eyes.

"Brago, please!" He pleaded to his enemy. He attempted to stand, but failed.

His enemy's reply was putting more force into his spell as he spat out in disgust, "Where is your pride, Zatch?" The king's eyes widened as he took in both what the dark Mamodo said and Tia's agonizing cry.

"Zatch…" She cried out weakly, then stronger, "Zatch…!" Something was happening above her as white particles gathered. "You have to…" Above her the white particles had taken shape into a heart-crested sword.

"Tia, stop!" He pleaded. He knew what she was doing, "You have to save your strength!" But he couldn't do anything to stop her.

"…Beat this punk!" The sword lunged at Zatch and stabbed him through his chest.

He could feel the energy—her energy—coursing through his veins. He watched her with sadness in his eyes, and even though her eyes were full of pain, he saw a smile flash across her face.

Then the sparkle of life in her eyes vanished.

Suddenly he couldn't hear anything and everything around him seemed to slow down. He continued to stare into her empty eyes—waiting, hoping, and praying to see them sparkle again. When they didn't, he stood and ran to her. The spell around her had just lifted. He stood above her momentarily, looking down at her unmoving body. His legs gave out on him and, falling to his knees, he scooped the girl Mamodo into his arms and shook her.

"T-" The violent shaking that had taken hold of his body prevented him from speaking clearly. He touched her cheek, and when she didn't move everything sparked back to life.

"If you had been a strong king you could have saved her."

His eyes closed.

"You're weak, Zatch!"

He laid her down gently and rose to his feet, his head down and bangs covering his face.

"The throne doesn't—"

"A kind king is a weak king…"

The king spoke as he clenched his fists so tight that blood dripped from his palms and seeped through his fingers.

"A strong king…"

His teeth gritted as he spoke.

"A merciless king…"

Heavy sobbing gasps came from him.

"If that's what you want…"

He laughed crazily and then looked up, his wicked expression startling the dark Mamodo.

"I'll make sure there's _nothing_ left of _you_!"

Brago's eyes widened and he swallowed hard.

"Zagurzem!" Coming from his mouth as he spoke was an orb of lightning. His hand reached out and caught it and then slammed it into his chest. "Zagurzem!" He repeated the action, "Zagurzem" again, "Zagurzem" again, "Zagurzem" and again. His body felt stiff as the energy inside him just waited to burst. "Rauzaruk!" When the lightning pierced through the heavens and hit him, he let out a scream of agony at the top of his lungs as the energy stored inside him exploded. The blood in his veins boiled and burst out of his body from his arms. His painful screams suddenly ceased and his hateful gaze landed on the dark Mamodo.

Brago took a step back, almost stumbling. He watched, as ready as he could be, as the ground broke with each step the approaching king took. Gritting his teeth, he held his hands out in front of him and in an attempt to stop the approaching crazed Mamodo cast, "Dioga Gravidon!"

An orb of purple energy appeared before him and expanded outwards into great proportions as multi-colored auras pulsated around it. Planting his feet firmly on the ground, Brago thrust his arms forward in a motion that sent the devastating spell in the direction of the crazed Mamodo.

A sudden momentary ear-piercing screech of the wind alarmed the dark Mamodo, and in an unbelievable maneuver (or perhaps it was luck) managed to dodge the fist the came from behind him. Thrusting his arm out at the king, the dark Mamodo shouted "Re—"

His spell was interrupted as the king planted his hand over his opponent's mouth. The king pushed forward and as soon as he was on top of the dark Mamodo he began whaling on his face. Punch after relentless punch expressed the unwavering hatred that consumed him. Unable to convene words from his lips, he simply put even more force into his punches that were mutilating the face of the Mamodo beneath him. Nothing he could say would extricate the hatred and rage; but even this was not releasing it faster than it was growing. There had to be more—there had to be nothing left of this Mamodo. This Mamodo had to be erased from existence. After one more punch that tipped the total to uncountable, the multi-colored aura dissipated. He looked heavenward and cried aloud.

The Mamodo beneath him couldn't move or fight back. Whether he was even alive still was questionable, but that didn't stop the mad king from continuing.

"Zagurzem!" The king cast the spell and the orb of electric energy absorbed into the Mamodo beneath him. "Zagurzem!" Again, and again, and again, the mad king cast the spell and each orb absorbed into the body of the Mamodo.

"Bao Zakeruga!"

The electricity that should have formed into a dragon never had a chance to from the close proximity. Instead it just poured onto the body of the Mamodo and on first contact exploded into an electrical storm that expanded outward into an orb that consumed both Mamodo and the surrounding area. At the peak of the onslaught, the orb quickly shrunk into a pillar that shot skyward as it became thinner and thinner.

When the monster of a spell finally fully dissipated, Zatch laid there unconscious and in tears on a black streak of scarred and burning land. Brago's earlier spell erupted on the horizon, finally coming in contact with something. The resulting shockwave blew over the battlefield like a sort of signal cuing the end of the battle.

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A.N. So Brago fights like a total awesome guy in this chapter by combining his immobilization spells and offense spells into one package. And Zatch went insane, haha. Hope you enjoyed reading! Until next time, take care!


	6. The End of the Beginning

A.N. Here it is, guys—the final chapter, epilogue included. I'll save the rest of my comments till the end, save for this one: enjoy!

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The crisp and cool water of the river felt great around his body as he swam through it. He'd been following the path of his fleeing goal for over a minute now, the creature proving to be quite elusive. It wasn't fair that he had to resurface for air, he decided, because it was due to that fact that the creature had managed to get away twice now. This time, however, he pushed his already straining lungs a little further and managed to seize the creature with his hands. A frantic struggle ensued in which he tried to keep hold of the thing while racing to the surface.

"Ahh~!"

Air rushed back into his lungs as he broke the surface, leaving him a little lightheaded. He shook it off and swam back to the shore, dragging the panicking yellowtail with him. When he finally got out of the water, he held the helpless fish into the air like a trophy, ready to sink his teeth into it and enjoy his hard-earned meal.

"Zatch, that's disgusting!"

He let out a small noise and turned to the source of the voice—a red-head Mamodo girl near the same age as him, wearing a straw sunhat adorned with a large pink and white ribbon that matched her puffy, long-skirted sundress of the same color. She had her hands on her hips and was giving him a disapproving glare.

"At least cook it first!" She instructed, pointing to the fire a few feet from her.

He lowered the fish to his chest, its floundering dying down. "Aw but why, it's not like it tastes any different!" He argued innocently with puppy-dog eyes.

Her finger shot out more, emphasizing her demands. "I want some too, and there's no way I'm eating something slimy and raw and…" She shivered just thinking about it. "Hurry up." She finished and made her way to the fire, sitting on the yellow and white checkered blanket near it.

He did as he was told and brought it over. She took initiative in cooking the yellowtail while he sat by and watched, his mouth drooling in anticipation of devouring the fish. This 'cooking' thing she was doing was beyond his comprehension and he had no idea why she wouldn't just eat it fresh like he originally wanted to.

"You have to learn to think things through." She informed while checking her delicate cooking. "If you just jump straight into things without thinking, bad things happen."

He groaned, part of it of his own will and part of it coming from his empty stomach. "It's just a yellowtail." He murmured defensively. He wasn't sure why she was lecturing him.

"I know." She giggled, but then continued, "You have to look at every angle and be ready for any outcome. You have to be a strong king, for your people."

Something surged through his mind at the words 'strong king.'

"Being kind isn't enough." She spoke despondently while flipping the yellowtail so the other side could cook.

"Is it almost finished?" He asked excitedly, his eyes locked on the slowly changing texture of the fish.

A weak smile tugged at her lips. "Zatch, you're not listening." Her gaze wandered from the fish to his childish eyes. "You have to be strong by yourself, and continue on without me."

Her sad tone was more than enough to alarm him and pry his attention from the fish to her. He could see sorrow regret all over her face. "Tia, what are you saying?" He tilted his head a little.

Instead of replying she stood and brushed off her sundress. "I have to go now." After taking a few steps away from him, she turned around one last time. "Do you think you'll be okay without me?"

He nodded, albeit uncertainly. "For a little while. I don't know how to cook though, so hurry back!"

She smiled at his innocence. "Don't worry, it's finished cooking."

He gave a gleeful laugh while swiping it from over the fire. It burned his hands slightly but he dealt with it—it was yellowtail, after all. He took a bite and savored it. "Thanks, Tia! You're right. It does taste better this way!" When he looked back to her, she was already walking into the distance with her back to him. "Hurry back!"

Her movement stifled, and he wondered if she was going to turn around and say something important; but then she began to walk away, slow but steady steps taking her farther and farther away.

* * *

When his eyes opened, he wasn't quite sure what to make of the drab ceiling above him, for moments ago it had been an endless blue sky with cotton clouds. Upon sitting up, he felt blankets tug at his torso before sliding down to his lap. It didn't take long for him to realize he had been dreaming. It didn't take long for him to realize he was in pain either, the likes of which caused him to immediately double-over. He began to recall why he was in pain: Brago had attacked the town, had attacked the palace, had attacked him, had attacked—a sudden flash of an image, ruby eyes that had lost their gleam. "Tia!"

The blankets were thrown off and he leaped from the bed, his legs collapsing and taking the rest of his body to the ground upon his feet touching it. He was in an immensely weak state.

The door opened and someone walked in, although all he could see from his viewpoint was their feet. "Zatch! You shouldn't be out of bed!" The feet scampered out of the room, "Ted, hurry! Zatch collapsed!" and were back not even a moment later, this time coming closer to him. Whoever they belonged to now knelt at his side.

Struggling to lift even his head now, Zatch managed to catch a glimpse of red hair—or was it pink? "Tia!" He cried out happily.

A variety of footsteps were heard as people crowded into the room, one of which sounded like hooves. "Meru-mie!"

"She's right, Zatch. I know you're a tough guy, but even you need rest." Whoever had just spoken was now lifting him and laying him back on the bed. The visage of the person lingered in his vision. It was Ted.

"Tia, where's Tia? I just saw her." Zatch managed to say amidst his delirium.

A pink-haired girl stepped into view. "It's me, Kolulu." She had her hands rested over her heart, a saddened expression across her face out of concern for the distant stare Zatch was giving her. It was as if he were looking straight through her, as if she didn't exist—as if she were someone else.

A hoofed creature pounced onto the bed. "Meru meru-mie!" Ponygon had been excited to see Zatch regain consciousness, but upon him not even turning to acknowledge him, he retracted sadly. "Mie…"

Zatch's eyes were still locked on Kolulu. She didn't dare look away and nobody in the room made any noticeable movement; that is, until Zatch's head slowly encompassed the room and he asked in a whisper, "Where's Tia?" Ponygon was there, Kolulu was there, Ted was there, Kanchomé as well.

It remained silent for quite some time, the uneasiness thickening in the air with each second. Finally, Ted started, "Zatch, listen," he paused for a moment, "Tia is—"

"She had to go somewhere!" Kanchomé interrupted loudly. Everyone in the room turned to him, three of the occupants displaying uncertainty and sorrow, but one displaying relief.

"Just like in my dream." Zatch stated. A bright smile overtook his despair. "She'll be back soon, yeah! I have something to tell her!"

"You bet, Zatch!" Ted chimed in. "But you should really rest up, that way you'll have the energy to go see her when she gets back."

Zatch nodded obliviously and fell back onto the mattress that was much too large for him.

His friends left the room so he could rest. Kanchomé was the last to leave, and as he closed the door behind him, the concerned stares of the other three met him. His gaze dropped to the floor. Their solemn gazes stayed like that for what seemed like eternity.

* * *

Years passed…

Zatch continued to lead the Mamodo race, but his ways had changed. He had grown stricter and beneath the kindness that still radiated from him was a hidden sorrow. He had learned strength from pain and wisdom from the dream of a ghost. Prosperity had been achieved throughout the Mamodo race, but it was not by kindness alone.

The king's friends would visit him often. Ponygon visited the most. Ted and Kolulu would always visit him together. Kanchomé stopped by every now-and-then, although the king's fondness of him had waned ever since the duck-faced Mamodo told his greatest lie.

Responsibility was what the king clung to. He gave his kindness to his people and saved none for himself. He showed them bright smiles that were hollow. He shared with them his wisdom to guide them to a prosperous future. All of this was because he knew he had to be a strong king and a kind king, for scarred into his memory and heart was the knowledge of what came with having one without the other; and he would never wish that pain on any other Mamodo.

* * *

He stepped out onto the balcony, the air cool and the sky black, cloudless, and specked with stars. He leaned against the balcony in a familiar spot and let his gaze travel up to the never-ending starry sky. A sudden star suddenly shot across the sky, and as fast as it was there it was nearly gone. A sad smile prodded at his lips and a tear escaped one of his eyes.

"I wish…" He strained his ears as if expecting to hear something. Only the sound of the night answered him, so he continued, "…That I hadn't been such an idiot." A single, dry chuckle vibrated his throat before he sat down with his back against the balcony.

It was a special night for him, and for the fifth year in a row he would spend it beneath the stars. There were many up in the sky, but the only one he cared for had just taken his wish into the great beyond. He would send it every year, never missing even once.

Maybe, if he were lucky, one of these times it might just reach her…

* * *

A.N. Writing this story has been a long journey, and while it's no secret that I updated it incredibly slowly after the second chapter, I won't deny that I'm sad to see it end. It's always been something I could look back on and brainstorm endless possibilities with, and yet now that it's finished, that's no longer possible. It's like the feeling you get after watching the final episode of your favorite show, if you catch my drift. Well, I'd love to know everyone's thoughts on this ending, so feel free to speak your mind! Thanks for reading and take care!


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